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Icy Road Conditions Make Fighting South Side Slopes Fire A Challenge

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Slick, ice-covered roads and frigid cold temperatures are proving to be a challenge for first responders all over the region, including firefighters on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Crews dealt with a steep, narrow road on a hillside and icy surfaces as they battled smoke and flames on Greeley Street in the South Side Slopes on Tuesday night.

The blaze broke out just before 8 p.m. at a duplex.

"There was a lot of smoke. He was throwing ladders up onto the roof, trying to climb up," said Tyler Abbott, the son of one of the firefighters who was called to the scene. "It seems like they were trying to cut a hole in the roof to let some of the smoke out."

Neighbors reported that a worker had been inside that vacant home, but he managed to get out safely.

Pittsburgh Public Works crews were also on scene, salting the hill and making conditions as safe as possible for firefighters.

Christine D'Antonio's Report:

"It's challenging. There's limited access, both top and bottom, as you can imagine icy conditions throughout the entire scene," said Pittsburgh EMS District Chief Mike Rogers. "Doing the best to control it, throwing salt and things like that, but pretty slippery. A little challenging to get all of our equipment up here."

No injuries were reported.

"There's trucks everywhere. They have salt trucks down there now. It's just really a miracle that nobody was injured," said Abbott.

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